A rat in sheep's clothes
by B. Weasley
Summary: Everyone always thought that they knew who I was. But what they didn't know, is that I never followed their expectations.


**Enter for the Quidditch League Competion - Round 1 - Appleby Arrows - Beater 2**

**Prompt: **Write about someone who looks innocent but is evil on the inside.** (Tom Riddle is not allowed for this prompt)**

**Optional prompts used: **09\. expectations; 14. Hagrid

**Word count: **1.954

**_Huge thanks to Newt and Dih for all their help!  
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**_A rat in sheep's clothes_**

I suppose that this was my fault. No, scratch that! It's not my fault that those idiots didn't realize that I wasn't like them. They were weak, and talked so much about courage and all that stuff that we could do since we were Gryffindors. Honestly, I still don't understand why the Sorting Hat put me in the lion den; I wasn't the most courageous person. But that changed on that fateful night, on October 31st.

I had been to the Potter household a lot of times since we graduated from Hogwarts, and after Harry was born. It was very easy to make them confide in me once more when the Dark Lord started to recruit people for his army, and even easier to leak some information from the Order of the Phoenix meetings.

It wasn't coincidence that Sirius didn't trust Remus so much. I might have been seen as someone inferior to them, but I was much sneakier and more astute than they were. How Sirius never thought to check with Remus about some of the information I told him him, is beyond my knowledge. I guess he just trusted me. What a fool.

When James and Lily discovered that the Dark Lord was after their son and they decided to hide, I knew it was my chance to show the Dark Lord where my loyalty was. To show him, to show _them_, that I wasn't little Peter anymore.

It wasn't difficult to trade places with Sirius, to become the _Secret Keeper_ of the Potters. After all, everyone on the Wizard World would think that Sirius was the person they chose, making my plan work really well. They would never again think that I was _weak_, that I was _useless_, that I was just a _rat_. Well, maybe I _am_ a rat, and that works just fine with what I have to do.

"Wormtail, the day is here! Tonight, I'll become the Darkest Wizard of all time, and I just need to get rid of a little baby," the Dark Lord said while I waited to Apparate us to Godric's Hollow. "It's been so long since I discovered the contents of the prophecy".

"Yes, my Lord," I replied, bowing before him.

"Tonight, you will betray your friends for the last time. And tomorrow, a new era will begin," Voldemort continued. "A world free of Mudbloods and blood traitors and that _fool_, Albus Dumbledore."

I decided not to say anything. I was more than ready to go and see the end of it. I should have felt bad for selling my friends out like this, but I did not. They never really noted me; just let me hang around with them. Well, that was their mistake.

"It's time! Let's go, Wormtail, let's meet your friends," the Dark Lord said, leaving the room. Not wanting to suffer his rage, I followed him to the gates to Apparate to Godric's Hollow and the Potter house for the last time.

**~o0o~**

Apparition was never easy or enjoyable, but Apparating with the Dark Lord was even worse, if that was possible. I tried very hard not to puke, and I guess I did a decent job. Before we left his house, I wrote on a piece of parchment some very meaningful words- "_The Potter House is located at Number Twenty_,_ Godric's Hollow_" -and now the Dark Lord could continue with his plans.

"Wait for me here, I won't be long," the Dark Lord whispered to me after reading the piece of parchment, and went to the house that still had some lights on.

After my master was gone, I turned into my Animagus form. I really didn't care what people would think about me after that evening, but I didn't want people to know that I was here.

But the moment I transformed I knew something was wrong. The air around here was different from just a moment before, and the Dark Lord was taking so long for a simple action. He should have returned by now, and that's how I knew that something bad had happened.

Before I could think properly, I had already come closer to the house, and clear as day, I could see what was wrong. The house was burned and had no sign of the Dark Mark above. The Dark Lord would never forget to put _his_ mark to signal that he or some Death Eater had been there. The moments I took to better look around were my mistake. Someone who wasn't supposed to be here Apparated at my side. Luckily for me, they didn't see me, but I knew who it was even before I checked.

I recognised his scent after spending so many times together at the Shrieking Shack and in the Forbidden Forest. Sirius was here, and this was bad. He was the one that could blow my cover and send me to Azkaban. But I knew I could turn the tables and make him look guilty. I guess being seen as weak may have some vantages now.

"No no no, James! NO!" I could hear Sirius scream from the inside of the house, and I knew that soon, a lot of people will come here. I was surprised that Dumbledore himself wasn't here yet. He definitely should have known that the wards had been broken.

While I thought about whether Dumbledore would come to Godric's Hollow or not, I realized that Sirius had just left the house, holding a bundle of blankets in his arms. I didn't realize that Sirius was so emotional about some blankets, but he never realized that I'm not the same shy boy that he met in first year.

"Oh, Harry, what we are going to do know?" Sirius asked the blankets. Wait, Harry was alive? But if Harry was alive, where was the Dark Lord? He shouldn't have been alive if my master wasn't! Something very wrong must have happened here.

"'Arry is alive? Is he okay?" A loud voice came from the direction of the house, catching Sirius off guard. "What are you doing with him, Sirius?"

"Hagrid, that's a lot of questions. But I just have one for you," Sirius said, reaching for his wand and protecting the baby in his arms. "How did _you_ know that something was wrong?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Sirius, but Dumbledore sent me here to see why the wards on the Potter house were down," Hagrid said, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and blowing his nose. "I came to get 'Arry, I need to take him to Dumbledore."

"Why? I'm his _godfather_, Hagrid, I was chosen to take care of Harry if… if…" Sirius couldn't finish his sentence. I thought that Hagrid being here was bad, but actually, this could help me more than I thought. I just needed to play this right...

"I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do, Sirius. I need to get the baby to somewhere safe," Hagrid said, holding his arms out to get Harry.

"Why can't I take Harry? Why did Dumbledore ask you instead of me?" Sirius asked, holding Harry closer to him.

"I don't know how to answer that, Sirius," Hagrid said with a sigh. "All I know is that I need to take 'Arry to headmaster. You know he will be safe with him, at Hogwarts."

"It's ok Harry, I'll see you soon." Sirius said, kissing the baby's forehead and giving him to Hagrid. "Take my motorcycle Hagrid; I don't think I need it after tonight."

"I'll take good care of him." Hagrid replied, taking the bundle and walking in the direction of the motorcycle and leaving without much notice. I stared at Sirius from my Animagus form, trying to think what he was going to do.

I followed him while he left the house, wondering what he was thinking. He must have known I betrayed James, but I didn't think he thought that I would have done something different, that I was just trying to protect myself.

"I know you are here, Peter, so come face me," Sirius whispered, trying to make me appear. That wasn't going to happen, old friend. "I knew we had a rat among us, I never knew it'd be so literal."

I always knew that the Marauders had low expectations of me, but I didn't know how low they were. I guess this is what happens when people think they are better than you. Before I knew what I was doing, I was transforming back to my human form.

"I trusted you, we all trusted you. How could you do this to them? To Harry?" Sirius asked in a broken voice.

Again, so many expectations for what I was supposed to be.

"You don't know what it's like to be in his presence Sirius, it's me or them. I didn't really have a choice." I responded, trying to say what he expected of me.

"You always had a choice Peter; you just chose the weakest, the safest one." He said with a sneer, almost spitting with rage. "I guess this is what happens when you trust a rat."

Oh, Sirius, always so easy to manipulate. It was always so easy to rile him up. He was being exactly what I needed. I guess I could always count on the Marauders to help me.

"I guess I chose right then, if you don't trust me anymore. At least with them, I don't feel like I'm stuck in a rat trap." I said, waiting for what he had to say.

"If that's how you felt all this years, why did you hang around us? Why did you let us think that you were our friend?" Sirius shouted at me, realizing that we are gaining the attention of some Muggles who lived close by. Good, this is very good.

"Because I thought that you all would see who I really am. And I guess that now everyone will know who you really are," I said, preparing myself for what I need to do.

"What are you talking about, Peter?" asked Sirius, trying to distract the Muggles. I used his distraction to take my wand.

"Everyone knows that you were the _Secret-Keeper_, and look what happened," I said, looking around to see some Muggles coming closer to the scene.

"But we switched at the last minute, and now you'll come with me to the Ministry to explain all this, and then they _will_ send you to Azkaban for what you've done," Sirius said, looking a little more frazzled than before. Now is the best chance I have.

"I knew you were naïve, but I didn't know how much," I said, pointing my wand at Sirius. "I don't plan to go to the Ministry, much less go to Azkaban. I guess it's time to say goodbye, old friend."

"How can you say that, Peter? You know that you don't have a choice," Sirius said sarcastically.

"I guess I had a better plan," I said, looking into his eyes before screaming. "HOW COULD YOU, SIRIUS? HOW COULD YOU KILL JAMES AND LILY? THEY WERE OUR FRIENDS!"

And before Sirius could react, I killed the nosey muggles and sent a Blasting Curse in the direction of the street. I knew I had to be very quick, so before I lot my courage (_I was a Gryffindor after all_), I cut off my left ring finger for the Aurors to find.

I rapidly transform to my Animagus form and start to run, leaving behind all the destruction and someone I once thought was my friend. Now I need to hide, and let them deal with the consequences of trusting a rat in sheep's clothes.


End file.
